Bumper structure for vehicles



H.. W. TINKER BUHPR STRUCTURE Fon VEHICLES Le 1MM ,wm' "MWVJ y Filed NO v. 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug, A3 1926. l 1,594,580 v H. w. TINKER BUMPER STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n Filed Nov. e. 1925 Patented Aug, 3, 1926.

UNTED orifice.

HERBERT w. Tinknnpor MrnWnUiiEEj ,rWIscoiis;i`N`, @Samtron To ED'E'EAE rREssED STEEL COMPANY, 0E MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, A coEPoEATioiv or Wisconsin.

BUMPER sTitUcTURE Eoit vEEIcLEs.

Application filed November', y1925. Serial o. 6526i My invention relates to bumper devices for vehicles, and more particularly to that class generally known as fender guards,A in 'which the impact members at the rear of the vehicle are spaced apart to accommodate a spare tire therebetween.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to so form the spring bar, carrying the impact members and adapted to absorb or cushion any shock or blow imparted to the impact members, as to accommodate the spare tire and the means suport-ing the spare tire carrier. To this end I make the bar a continuous one and shape it so that its central portion is offset 'forwardly of its end portions to accommodate the spare tireand also is offset vertically with respect to its ends to accommodate the brackets or other supporting means for the spare tire carrier.

Another object of my invention is to provide the face or weby portion of the channelshaped sheet-metal impact bar with one or more longitudinally" extending pressed-out ribsof substantial width, though preferably of little depth, to improve the appearance of the bumper structure, strengthen the impact bar, and also" permit the outer faces of the ribs to be nickel-plated more cheaply7 easily and' perfectly, and the remainder of the im pact'bar to be enamelled more cheaply, easily and perfectly. v

The above and further incidental objects and advantages of my improved bumper structure will become apparent from the following description, taken yin conjunction with' the accompanying drawings.

In said draWings,-Figure 1 is area-r elevation of an automobile shown equipped with fender guards embodying ymy invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the fender guards and the spare tire mounted on the rear end of the chassis; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through one of the fender guards as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 25 Fig'. et isv likewisea cross-sectional view through the same fender guards but is taken ont-he line 4;l of Fig. 2; andFigs. 5 and- 6V are top plan and rear elevationsy respectively, of one end of the spring supporting bar and of one of the fender guards having parallel spring impact bars,- instead of the rigid impact barsy shown in the other figures.

It will be observedl by referring to Figs. 1 and 3 that a continuous bar 10 formed of spring metal, extends transversely across the rear end of the vehicle and is? connected to the rear projecting ends of the side sills 1.1 of the chassis by means of clamps or brackets y 'i2 which may be of any appresta 0idesired forni.v Mounted onthis spring supporting bar and toboth sides of the spar-e tire 13 are the impact members 14. `Each of these impact members consists of a sheet metal bar pressed in dies to form rearwardly exten-ding" flanges 1G at the upper lower edges of its web' or face 17 which is provided with a flangedl opening 13; While I have shown but one ojening"` 13'i't will be obvious that more than one opening may b-prev'ida if desired; j j j The' outer forwardend of each impact bar 1a 1s connected to the outer' corresponding end of the spring supporting bar 10 by means of bolt 19 (Fig. 3)y which projects through holes in the vflanges 16 and through an integral rolledeye 2U formed on the eX?- tr'em'e end 'of the bar' 21d-,suitable spacing collars, 21 being positionedbetweenthe eye 20 and theflanges" 16,` in order'to hold the impact bar in position on tne'spnngi bar 10. The opposite or inner end of each impact bar 14 is connected to the spring bar 10 just within the bracket 1Q by means' of an arm 23 (Fig. 2) which is also' preferably formed of spring metal and is securedvto the" bar 10 by means of a bolt 24; The forward` end of the 23 is connected to the` inner end of the impact bar by means of a bolt 25 which extends through the flanges 16-7 spacing co1- lars,q like collarsV2-1, and aneye 26integra1ly formed on the forward end of the' arm 23. It will bel observed that the outer ends of the spring supporting bar 10 are inclined forwardly so thatthe' impact bars 14e may have the desired curvature and y'et not be' spaced inordinate distancefrom the rear end of the chassis.

The maenner e7 (Fig. i) may of agen be of any desired construction and I have shown it in the form of a continuous ring or rim supported by means of projecting arms 28 connected at their forward ends to cross bar 29 on the chassis; v

Ihen 'the spare tire is mounted on the tirel 'carrier 27 its rear face is substantially in the' same plane as the straight inner ends of theV faces of the' impact members 14'. In order that the tire shall not project rearwardly beyond the impact members, the central portion of the bar V is offset or bent forwardly to afford a deeper space for reception of the tire. it will be noted that the central portion of the har is also offset vertically with re-y spectto its endsinorderto accommodate the two supporting arms 28 for the tire carrier, the forward portions of these arms being in the same horizontal plane as the' end portions of the barl 10. This feature is important, as it Vpermits. the use of the fender guards ony any automobile even when the tir@ carrier supporting means is in the same horizontal plane as the medium line through the impact members, as the central portion of the spring carrying bar l() is then oset, either downwardly or upwardly, to accommodate the tire carrier` supportingV means. Y It will be noted that the web or face of each impact member is provided with pressed-out parallel ribs 3l, which preferably extend from one end to the other of the impact: member and which are of substantial wi'dt-h, ythough of relatively little depth. The ribs give the impact bar a very much improved appearance and at the same time strengthen it. lIt is often desirable and preferableto finish the impact members with an enamel, for example,black enamel, and nickel combination. Another decided advantage ofthe ribs is that they may be nicl'relplatedon their outer faces very readily and at littlev cost, kthe remainder of -the. faces being enamelled. This' finishingl may be accomplished -by first nickel-plating the entire piece ,which forms theJ bar. Gummed paperkvmay then be pasted over the ribs 31 after which the entire bar is sprayed with the enamel. The gummed paper is then removed and the ribs polished. If the faces were not ribbed as shown, great diiliculty would be experienced in providinga neat line of demarcation between Vthe enamellecl and nickel surfaces. The niclreling and enamelling might be accomplished, in some cases, by handwithout providing the structure which I employ, but that would be veryy costly; and, i'nany event, if the ribs were not provided there -would always be a tendency for the enamel to run into the nicldedvportion. The ribs 3l provide against this andfacilitate the operation from every standpoint. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it willbenoted v.that the impact members differ from the channel-shaped impactmember shown in the other views. In Figs. 5 and 6, the fenderguard at each end is provided with two parallel impact strips 33 formed of spring metal,

the impact members being connected to the spring impact bars l0 by the same means as shownin the other figures, namely by means of bolts extending through eyes in the endsd5 of the ,supporting bar l0 and thevarms 23,

By referring to Fig; 1;

tion offset laterally with respect to its end eyes being formed in the ends of the impact strips 33 for reception of the bolts.

`I claim: Y p

l. Incombination with a spare tire carrier means, of a fender guard structure comprising impact members spaced apart to accommodatethe spare tire, and ak supporting bar having its end portions connected to said impact members and a central por- 'T5 portions to accommodate the spare tire and offset vertically with respect to its end portions to accommodate said spare tirecarrier means. y

2. ln combination with akspare tire carrier and means projectingrearwardly from the vehicle chassis for supporting said carrier, of a fender guard structureV compris# ing impact members spaced apart to accommodate the spare tire, a spring supporting bar adapted toextend across the rear end of the vehicle chassis with. its end portions connected to said impact member and' in the same horizontal plane as said tire carrier supportingmeans, and having a central portion laterally forwardly offset with respect to its end portions to accommodate the spare tire and vertically downwardly offset with respect to its end portions to accom modate saidtire carrier supporting means.

3. In afender guard structure, the combination of *two*v impactjmembers `spaced apart to accommodate a spare tire therebetween, a spring supporting bar having its central portion offset vertically with respect to its end portionsforwardly of the space between `said impact members, and V means for connecting said impact members to the end portions of said bar.

4L. In a fender guard structure, the com- 105 bination ofy two impact members spacedA apart to accommodate a spare tire therebetween, Ya spring supportingbar having a laterally forwardly offset and a vertically oil'set central portion forwardly of the space 11o Vbetween said impact members, and means for connecting said impact members to the end portions of said bar.

5. In a fender guard structure, the combination of a continuous spring supporting bar having forwardly inclined ends and a central portion offset forwardlyand odset downwardly with respectto its end portions, brackets for supporting said bar and connected to the same between said inclined ends and central portions, impact membershaving their outer ends securedk directly to the ends of said spring bar, and spring arms connecting the opposite or inner ends of said impact members to said spring bar V adjacent said brackets. v 6. In a bumper structure, an impact` member formed of sheet metal and channelshaped in cross-section, with flanges at the upper and lower edges of its web or face,

and longitudinal ribs ot' substantial width pressed outwardly in the web or face of the member.

T. 'in a sheet metal impact bar for a bumper structure, a web, integral extending flanges at the edges of said web, a flanged opening in said web, and parallel pressed-out shallow ribs of substantial width formed in said web and extending longitudinally of the bar on each side of said opening.

S. In a bumper structure, a sheet metal impact member having a web, integral extending ilanges at the edges of said web, and a pressed-out shallow nickel-plated rib of substantial width formed in said web and extending longitudinally of the member.

9. ln a bumper structure, an impact seetion formed of sheet-metal having two longitudinally extending portions with an elongated opening therebetween and laterally extending` horizontal langes,.and longitudinally parallel pressed-out fiat shallowT ribs of substantial width ,formed in the faces of said two longitudinally extending portions.

l0. ln a bumper structure, an impact section formed of sheet-metal having two longitudinally extending portions with an elongated opening therebetween and laterally extending horizontal flanges, and longitudinally extending parallel pressed-out shallow ribs of substantial width and shallower than the thickness of the metal formed in the faces of said two longitudinally extending portions and having their faces nickel-plated.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

HERBERT W. TINKER. 

